All The Stars
by HoneyBee1995
Summary: Following the events of Civil War, Ayo (Move or you will be moved) of the Dora Milaje must protect one of the greatest secrets in Wakanda: Sergeant Barnes. The pair learn much about each other, and find themselves irresistibly drawn. But not all is as it appears, and both are put to the ultimate test.
1. Arrangements

Love, let's talk about love

Is it anything and everything you hoped for?

I get a feeling on you (x2)

This may be the night that my dreams might let me know,

All the stars are closer (x3)

This may be the night that my dreams might let me know,

All the stars are closer (x3)

– Kendrick Lamar ft SZA

'I am placing James Buchannan Barnes into your care'

Ayo raised an eyebrow.

When Okoye first summoned her into her office, it was, no doubt, a matter of importance.

Coming here was like coming into a war room. All that was, would, and will be discussed would be of the strictest and most confidential in nature.

This however, was not what she expected. Okoye continued:

'Captain Rogers and his friends have become fugitives in their own homes and 117 different countries'

Okoye flicked her wrist, and a holographic screen appeared. On it, the names and places of all territories in question. 'as you already know, our King has made it clear that they are under Wakandan protection; and their whereabouts - to the rest of the world – is unknown. And I'd like to keep it that way'

Ayo spoke, at last:

'why me?'

It was Okoye's turn to raise an eyebrow.

'Need I say it? You are one of the strongest members of the Dora Milaje, and my Second – in – command. There are some within Wakanda who do not like interfering with the outside world, and more still who believe that Sergeant Barnes is the one to kill our previous King.'

'Thus far, only The Royal Family, select members of The Wakandan Design Group, and The Dora Milaje know about these arrangements. That is why I have chosen you. Your skills will ensure the safety of Wakanda from the outside world, and the safety of The Royal Family from within.'

Okoye touched her hand.

Intimacy was a common thing amongst the Dora Milaje. They were raised like one unit, sisters almost. Once upon a time, a touch like this had sent shivers down Ayo's spine. And she delighted in spending time with Okoye, as she did too. The connection was there, and no one could deny it. But Wakanda and their King always came first, and what they had before was gone just as quickly as it had appeared. Whilst this was an action of their sisterly bond, Ayo could never quite forget the times before, when a touch like this meant something else entirely. But she knew more than anyone else that that would not be possible, and resolved to be happy with what they had now.

Ayo took her hand.

'I will not let you down'

Okoye nodded and gave Ayo permission to leave.

It occurred to Ayo as she walked through the winding palace halls that she would be guarding one of Wakanda's greatest secrets, and the world's most dangerous man. Of course, she knew the extent of his notoriety, and fancied herself capable of taking him up on that challenge. To see who was more dangerous in that respect.

James Buchannan Barnes.

Bucky Barnes.

The Winter Soldier.

* * *

'Are you sure about this Buck?'

James looked up.

Steve's baby blue eyes bore into his own. To the untrained eye, one would assume gravity in his stern gaze. A set determination inspecting those within its line of sight.

The eyes of a Captain.

But James knew Steve well.

Saw the way his eyes skittered back and forth from his eyes to his injuries. His hands in his pockets, concealing the fists he made when he was anxious. And his stance – although casual – was stiff and rigid. He was still naturally, but never so unforthcoming.

Steve was afraid.

Steve may have had a reputation as Brave, Strong, Fearless, and Just, a package that came with the moniker of Captain America, but he was very much human. Steve was just as selfish, as cowardly, as a mess as anyone else. But the fact of the matter was, that Steve was less of these things then anyone else. He strived to be better, and it was in his efforts that he was. Steve was as much Captain America as he was as Steve Rogers.

Perhaps that was why Bucky had loved him. A lifetime ago, it had only been friendship between the two. They always had each other's backs. But as they grew older, the feelings where there, growing with them. As natural as the air they breathed.

There hadn't been a need to say anything about it.

Only they had to be careful.

Bucky could not bear to see Steve tear himself apart, and neither could Steve bear the stress he had put his friend through. Had they continued as an item, they would surely have broken apart. Their relationship (whether as friends or as lovers) ending because of one of their many stupid arguments. So it was friendship they had settled with, and friendship they would continue with.

Bucky smiled.

'I can't trust my own mind. So until they figure out how to get this stuff out of my head, going back under is the best thing. For everybody.'

Steve looked down. A dejected smile forming on his lips. It was Bucky's turn to protect his friend. But the only way he could do that was by getting himself fixed. Steve had gone through hell and back, risked prison to find him, and now, he was still looking out for him. It was enough.

It was more than enough.

'Captain Rogers, Sergeant Barnes'

Bucky stood at once. The authority of the voice evoking a dormant response. The King walked in, two women in crimson armour flanking him either side. 'at ease Soldier, Captain. You are amongst friends here. There is no need for such formalities.' Bucky relaxed, Steve's own stiffness unfurling beside him.

T'challa inspected the pair briefly, an air of sympathy in his gaze. 'Your Cryostasis chamber is ready Sergeant Barnes. But before I can permit you to go in, I must impart important information to you, and Captain Rogers' T'challa said.

'your being in Wakanda is a Secret. Many of my own people do not know of your existence within Wakanda. And for safety reasons, your whereabouts shall remain unknown to the rest of the populace. Only select individuals know about this arrangement, and one such person shall oversee your safety for the duration of your stay'

Behind T'challa, one of the women at his side stepped forward. 'this is Ayo. She will be in charge of your safety.' Ayo looked at him, and somehow, the air had become sparser.

Bucky had prided himself on his ability to read people, something he had naturally developed over time, and had become more pronounced as The Winter Soldier.

Somehow, this woman's presence knocked the wind out of him.

Her eyes were both gentle and grave. With the warmth and depth of a mother, but with the ferocity and mercilessness of an Amazon. Her dark form spoke of years of intense training, and a grueling regime. Her appearance suggesting a harsh and authoritative figure, that was not to be challenged. But beneath all this, there was an element of determined confidence in her ways. Not foolhardiness, but a senseless, selfless, thing about her that spoke of an unchallenged strength and a devoted loyalty to her King. Whether it was intentional or not on the part of T'challa, Bucky knew what she was.

She was a Protector.

It occurred to Bucky suddenly that in the seconds it took to observe her, he had read her faster than anyone else. And he had looked away just as fast. If she was as good as T'challa had suggested, she would have noticed a change in him. Bucky focussed on her lips. A nervous habit he had learned from childhood.

'Good afternoon Sergeant Barnes' Ayo said, Bucky noting a lack of change in her voice. Good, she hadn't noticed. Bucky looked up, forcing himself to meet her gaze. 'It's lovely to make your acquaintance Miss Ayo' he replied.

They made their way to the cryostasis chamber. The room was nicer, safer than all the other rooms he had been placed in the past. Even the clothes they had given him to wear was comfortable. The staff explained the procedure to him: he would be in cryostasis for an indefinite amount of time. The pod would act as an x-ray, scanning the signals his brain made in reaction to some of the words used to trigger his activation. Once they established a pattern, they would be able to access a deeper part of his consciousness and make suggestions to his brain to associate each word to a memory, rather than the becoming of The Winter Soldier.

'in order to do this, we will need your compliance, of course' Shuri said, smiling. 'You will be asleep, but you will be awake also. It's called hypnagogia or waking dreams. Whilst in this state, your mind will process what to do, and with some effort, you will be able to do so as well.'

Bucky was strapped in place.

The pod was comfortable, and Bucky found it easy to relax into it. As he closed his eyes, his thoughts wandered to Ayo. Her presence unnerved him. Not that he was afraid of her, just wary. He had met others like her, fought them and had seen the depths they would go to for a cause.

Protectors like her were rare in his previous line of work, but he knew them when he saw them. They were devoted, loyal, unwavering in the sight of adversity, and lacking fear and doubt in anything. And their strength knew no bounds.

Kind of like Steve.

They were the best and worst kind of people to cross.

And if anyone crossed her, they would be in a world of hurt.

The air froze over, and in his final waking moments, he thought only of Ayo's lips.


	2. Longing

Sergeant Barnes disappeared beneath a sheet of thin white ice.

Ayo approached the chamber, raised a hand, and touched its surface. From her touch, James' vitals appeared. Revealing his heart rate, REM, and brain signature. 'He's an interesting one, isn't he?' Ayo turned. Princess Shuri was at her side, looking up at her. 'Your majesty' Ayo said, nodding in reverence 'Yes, he is'. Shuri nodded back, 'from what my brother said, his conditioning is possibly the most sophisticated form of mind control he has ever seen. And if the footage from the airport and Bucharest is anything to go by, there is a clear distinction between what is him and what is The Winter Soldier.'

Ayo glanced behind her.

T'challa and Captain Rogers were in the hallway, overlooking the bush; talking. The black statue of Bast bearing down on The King and The Outsider. Ayo knew she could trust The Captain, but you could never be too sure. Ayo returned to Shuri, 'how long will it take?' 'judging by how long he's been active as The Winter Soldier, something close to a year. But with some help from James, maybe even less'.

Ayo hoped for the latter.

She did not want to spend an entireyearlooking after a man in a constant state of sleep. Doing nothing whilst her sisters – in – arms were out defending Wakanda. It made her feel lazy. Whatsmore, she did not trust the Outsiders. After centuries of colonization and degradation, the surrounding territories had all lost what had made them great. Wakanda was the only untapped source that was free fromThe White Man's Burden, and she was adamant to keep it that way. Shelikedthe Captain and his friends, but shedislikedwhat they stood for. The Avengers, although bold in their attempts to save the world, were no different from the colonizers. Invading spaces that were not their own and attempting to "make things better" through violence. If Sokovia wasn't an example, Nigeria was one.

It was where Acantha died.

'This is for you'

Shuri's voice broke through her fog of thought. Her arm was stretched out, the white lab coat sliding to her elbow. In her palm sat a black bead, not unlike the one most Wakandan's wore. 'What is it?' she asked, picking up the bead. 'it is James' biometrics. It gives you the progress of his rehabilitation, REM, heartbeat, and brain signals in real time.'

'So, if you are away from him, you can keep an eye from afar. It also has a homing device, so if for whatever reason he somehow manages to break out of his chamber as The Winter Soldier, you'll know exactly where he is' Shuri said. 'Also, I'm sure you wouldn't want to spend all your time in here, so at least you have something to help you when you're out and about'

Ayo was impressed. Shuri had thought of everything.

'Thank You,' Ayo said, a small smile on her face.

The day went by steadily.

Ayo had set up a small room for herself close to the Cryostasis Chamber. The only divide, a set of doors. That way, if anything happened whilst she slept she'd be there in a heartbeat. Some of the other Dora Milaje helped her set up, laughing and joking about her situation. Ayo humoured them, the jokes lightening her mood. When they left, she had her dinner. A small meal of Jollof Rice, Suya and Moin-Moin. She ate the rice and suya, saving the Moin-Moin for later that evening. She then went over James' biometrics, memorizing his resting heartbeat, REM, and blood pressure. As she did this, Captain Rogers walked in.

'Hey,' he said, raising a hand.

'Hello,' Ayo replied.

Captain Rogers bounced on the balls of his feet and placed his hands in his pocket. It wasn't an obvious gesture, but after a few seconds of silence, Ayo noticed. The Captain was a hard man to read, but not as hard as interesting. When they'd first been introduced, something changed in Sergeant Barnes. It was so fleeting, so quick, that for a second, Ayo had hardly registered it. It wasn't until the moment had passed that she had been made aware of the change. When she had first stepped forward to introduce herself, Sergeant Barnes eyes travelled to three places at once: her eyes, her figure, and then to her lips. Resting there until she made her address. When he spoke his voice was steady, as though whatever it was that had affected him had never existed to begin with. A part of her wondered if she'd imagined it, but she knew that was not true. If she'd seen it, it was real. However fleeting, it was there. Something had changed.

Captain Rogers spoke at last.

'Thank you, for looking after Bucky' he said, sincerity in his eyes. Ayo turned back to the files, 'it is no problem, Captain. I am merely doing as I have been instructed by my seniors'. It was silent for a moment further, The Captain watching as she read the hologram. Ayo did not mind this, small talk was not her forte, and she was adamant to continue with her work. In no mood to amuse the American. 'How does it work?' came his voice again, curiosity in the mettle of the sound. Ayo fought the urge to roll her eyes, and faced The Captain.

'These are Kimoyo beads. They are personalised to contain the individual information of each Wakandan. It can range from medical records, to home security, videos, and act as a mode of contact' 'wow, we have nothing like that back home'

Ayo nodded 'I know. More advanced versions of it can manipulate things such as cars or planes.' She looked back at the hologram.

'If the user has a link, they can control it. It's quite like Bluetooth. I believe that's what you use now – a – days?'

Captain Rogers shrugged, his features brightening, 'I can't tell you for sure. I'm still learning myself. We have something called weefee?' Ayo frowned. The word certainly sounded familiar, but she couldn't quite place it. She knew what he was talking about but did not recognise the word he used. 'Buck would have loved all this' he said, stepping forward.

Captain Rogers stood in front of Sergeant Barnes Cryostasis Chamber, staring up at the man inside. Although the cylinder was clouded from the ice, Ayo could just make out The Captains features from his reflection on its surface, from the corner of her eye. 'Buck loved science. Technology especially. Anything that used electricity, he'd have loved it.'

'Sergeant Barnes sounds like a man of the future'

'he was. Just before he set out for the war, he took me and some girls to see a science show. Howard Stark was there. He was promoting this car. For the life of me, I can't remember what exactly this car did, but I know it was impressive because Buck liked it.'

Ayo flicked through the holographic screen 'what do you mean by was?'

'I beg your pardon?'

'you said Sergeant Barnes "wasa man of the future". What do you mean?'

Captain Rogers had spoken of Sergeant Barnes entirely in past tense. As though the man he had known all his life was not right there in front of him. He was not gone in a deceased sense, but Captain Rogers spoke of him as though he was.

'I don't know' he confessed looking back at the cylinder. 'Ever since I found him controlled by Hydra, I knew he wasn't the same.' Ayo looked at the Captain, flicking the holographic screen away. Ayo naturally wasn't an empath, that was Acantha's job. But she knew in that moment what the Captain was trying to say:

 _"I miss my friend"_

He hadn't said it out loud, but the message was clear all the same. Ayo understood the loneliness that accompanied the separation of someone you loved. She had seen it first-hand between The King and his cousin N'jadaka. T'challa and N'jadaka had been together since birth. They had all lived, played, and trained together as children. Growing as one body and vowing to protect Wakanda together. Both boys even sported the same crush on Nakia.

Ayo did not know the finite details of what had happened, but an Outsider by the name of Klaue was involved. A brief war rocked Wakanda. Many died, with most of the older Dora Milaje who had trained them perishing in the onslaught. N'jadaka's father was discovered to have had a hand in it, and sentenced to death. The remaining members of the Panther Clan who had been involved were then banished; N'jadaka included.

15 years on and no one knew exactly what had happened and where they had gone. No onewantedto know. The pain of his exile had hurt them all, and looking for answers about the situation only served to raise tensions amongst the current Dora Milaje, and the current King.

King T'challa may have given off the cool and calm aura of a prince, the pride of a king, and the wrath of a God, but Ayo could see through his cracks. She could still see the youth he once was hurting from the loss of his best friend. She had known loss of someone you loved second hand, and here it was in Captain Rogers.

'Your friend hasn't gone Captain Roger's, he's merely at rest. Who he once was, and how he is now, both are interchangeable.' Captain Rogers face turned to her. She continued: 'you say he used to be something, and now he is not. In the short time you were together, did you actually ask him if he was still interested in science?'

'no'

'Sergeant Barnes may have changed in a sense, but I doubt who he was is completely gone. People do change, but who they are at their core always remains the same.'

'Motives change, directions change, but who he was, that will remain. Because he is such a big part of who you are, and you are – by default – a big part of who he is. He may not seem like the man you once knew, but I can guarantee Captain Rogers, he is still in there, marked by you.'

She thought of N'jadaka as she said all this. Wherever he was in this world, she hoped he remained the same. The King – to – be, the Dora Milaje, and even she had remained the same; the changes that did occur only serving to better them. Nothing was ever eternal, but when she looked at the Dora Milaje, she always saw them as they once were.

Ayo flicked her wrist, and the hologram of Sergeant Barnes records appeared before her once more.

From her peripheral vision, she could see Captain Rogers taking all that she had said in, his blue eyes having grown a fraction.

'Miss Ayo?'

'hm?'

'thank you'

'it's not a problem Captain Rogers'

'please, call me Steve.'

* * *

Longing

The word flashed like an alarm. It faded in and out of existence as fog would, seemingly there and not there in the same instance.

The word's insistence annoyed Bucky mildly, the indecisiveness making his head hurt.

Where exactlywashe?

Bucky looked around. The white space was empty, save from himself, and the fading word. The white space had no beginning or ending in sight, seemingly going on forever. He looked down at himself. He was dressed in the same whites as before.

'well' he said to no one, 'This sucks'. When Shuri had first mentioned waking dreams, he thought it would be quite literally, a dream. It would make a significant change to what he was used to.

But as Bucky walked, the word following him like a moon, he realised that he preferred this over what he had been put in before.

When he was with Hydra, his dreams were always the same: cold, black, and lonely. His awareness of sleep a constant, and the screams of his victims the back noise. At least here, there were no screams.

Bucky peered behind him, the word still there. He stopped walking, sighed, and faced it. 'What am I supposed to do with you?'

"I beg your pardon?"came a voice, echoing around the invisible walls of the white space.

Bucky blinked. He was not expecting that. He looked around, half expecting someone to materialise from air. But only he and the word were present.

The voice was male, and its timber familiar, only, he could not place where he had heard it from before.

He stared at the word, half expecting it to speak again. When it did, the voice was different:

"– friend hasn't gone, - at rest."

This time, it was a woman's voice. It was softer somehow and held the undercurrent of authority behind its words.

This too, was familiar.

"no"came the man's voice again, and the air shifted.

Realisation dawned on Bucky as brown's, golds, and greens rushed past him, taking over the white space. What was once blank canvas, filled the space with an explosion of colour. But he took no notice of the palette that surrounded him. And when Bucky learned to breathe again, only one word left his lips:

Steve

The man who was speaking was Steve. Who else could it be? When Shuri had mentioned waking dreams, was this what she meant?Hearingvoices? Was this the unconscious part of his psyche he would have to interact with in order to heal? He stared harder at the flashing word, willing it to speak again. If it was a part of him, no matter how deep, surely it would answer to his will. It spoke once again, but in the voice of the woman:

"He may not seem like the man you once knew, but I can guarantee Captain Rogers, he is still in there, marked by you."

What did that mean?

He still did not recognise the voice of the woman, nor could he say he remembered it from some time past. But from her words alone, Bucky understood that she wasn't a part of him, rather, she wasoutsideof him. Her choice of words a dead giveaway. This was a conversationbeyondhis psyche.

The colours that painted the once white space began to shift, moulding itself into shapes. Bucky ignored his surroundings, straining to hear more of what this mysterious woman had to say. Why was she saying these things to Steve?

The reassurance in her words and the finality in her voice confused him. Was she consoling his friend or was she being condescending? The sight that evaded him only served to heighten his desire to know.

But no.

Whoever this woman was, wherever she came from, Bucky could tell she was not making fun of Steve. Yes, he could not see, but he could hear just the same. Where one sense failed, another would take its place.

The shapes took form, building further to what Bucky noted absently to be a bar. But he focused only on the woman's words. In her words, Bucky found nurture. Firm words of condolence. Her words alone told him that Steve was missing him.

A figure passed him. It was faded grey and dressed in an all too familiar military uniform. The sudden appearance of the thing startling Bucky, forcing him to tear his eyes away from the word, and focus on the world around him. He was in a bar. Only it was one he had not seen,thought back too, since before Hydra.

He saw James Buchannan Barnes sat at the crowded bar, the grey shapes silhouettes of people. Steve at his side, smiling. He had just been liberated. His unkempt appearance and tousled hair the biggest indicator. A woman walked in. She wore a red dress, its colour brighter than the room. All eyes turned to her, and Steve was struck by her beauty. If James Barnes had been on his own, he'd have stared too, but as Bucky looked at James Buchannan Barnes, he saw his past-self looking only at Steve; looking with adoration at the woman so aptly named Peggy.

In his gaze, the desire of what once was and could not be returned was there all at once. The intense feeling of a love that would never be returned. It was the same as the sound of Steve's voice, a yearning for one that could not be reached, or seemingly would not be able to respond. It was the reassurance of the woman with Steve and her hope in him maintaining who he was.

It was Longing.

And just like that, the vision faded away. The past became the present, and Bucky was in the white space once more. Steve's voice came again:

"Miss Ayo, Thank You"

Ayo. That was her name.

Thank you indeed. She had consoled Steve and himself.

'Thank you', Bucky said, true sleep gripping him.


	3. Rusted

**Process** : _Completed_.

 **Subject** : _Longing._

 **Update** : _Loading..._

 ** _Stand By_**

'He's taking to it well' Shuri mused, sipping her tea. Ayo nodded, pretending to be unimpressed. In less than 24 hours, Sergeant Barnes had managed to undo one of his activation words. A feat she had believed impossible.

After Captain Rogers - _Steve_ – had left, the pod began to beep in the early hours of the morning. At first, Ayo had thought someone was attacking Sergeant Barnes, and she had rushed to the chamber expecting an intruder. But when she pushed through the doors and approached the capsule, she was surprised to find no one there. No one but the comatose Sergeant.

She checked his vitals and found them to be in perfect order. It was only when she approached the screen and checked the status of his therapy - expecting no change whatsoever – that she realised that Sergeant Barnes had completed the first of his activation words.

She contacted Shuri immediately, only realising a moment too late that perhaps calling the Princess at 2am was a bad idea. The Princess' face materialised from the Kimoyo bead, her hair wrapped in a silk pink scarf, eyes scruffy.

Princess Shuri's eyes grew wide as Ayo explained the situation to her. Half an hour later, and the Princess was in the lab. Clad in her silk pyjamas, and wide awake with excitement.

She was babbling words Ayo could barely understand and knew she would not remember, so she humoured the Princess by simply nodding along to everything she said:

 _' – of course I had no idea it would be so effective. Clearly Sergeant Barnes is the one driving the progress of his rehabilitation, but at this rate?_ Unprecedented _! I wonder, could the procedure be that good? It's_ never _been tested on anything_ period _. This is merely a test drive, so for it to be working_ this fast _must mean that his rehabilitation will take far less time than initially devised. But think of the progress we'd be doing for Wakanda! I – '_

Ayo hoped for that.

If Sergeant Barnes healed quickly, she'd be out of _confinement_ sooner than initially planned. Sergeant Barnes just had to keep doing whatever he was doing in his mind palace, and very soon she'd be out of there in no time. If he kept at it, the entire procedure would take – according to her calculations – no more than 3 days. Happiness swirled in Ayo's chest.

' – _Sergeant Barnes progress will continue in 24 hours_ – '

Ayo blinked. 'Excuse me?' It came out ruder than she'd meant it. Princess Shuri stopped mid-sentence and looked at Ayo, surprised. 'I said Sergeant Barnes' treatment will continue in 24 hours. We can't force him to go to the next word right away, doing that may overwhelm him.'

The happiness that was once alive died instantly. 'how long do you think it will take?'

'by my calculations, a fortnight.'

 _TWO WEEKS_

A bitter taste filled Ayo's mouth. _Two_ whole _weeks_ before she could be relieved of her duties. Of course, there was a downside. Life was never so kind.

Princess Shuri continued to yammer on. Talking about procedures until the early hours of the morning. It was only when T'challa and Captain Rogers entered the lab that there was any semblance of peace. 'Good morning Shuri, Ayo' the King – to – be nodded at the pair, with Shuri returning the greeting and Ayo doing the signature Wakandan salute.

Captain Rogers said nothing, his cheeks glowing. A possible reaction from the early morning heat.

The King raised an eyebrow, looking from one to the other. 'What have you two been up to?' 'we've managed to unlock one of Sergeant Barnes activation words' Shuri gushed, proudly.

Captain Rogers face lit up. The hope of getting his friend back making his eyes glow. T'challa nodded in understanding, 'that explains why you weren't at breakfast' he mused 'and why you both are still in your underwear' he added, mischief in his eyes.

It occurred to Ayo then that neither of them had changed since the 2am call. They were both still clad in their nightwear. Whilst this was an exaggeration, Wakandan underwear (for women, at least) looked very similar to their nightwear. The Captain's pink cheeks making more sense. Ayo suspected that the King only said that to make the Captain – _Steve_ – uncomfortable.

Whilst Ayo was not ashamed, Shuri flushed in embarrassment.

'I'm going to get changed' she said, quickly leaving the room. They watched her go. T'challa turned his attention back to Ayo.

'Did she say how long the procedure will take? Now that we know that Sergeant Barnes' recovery is going better than premised'

'She said roughly two week's. We must give him time to rest so his mind doesn't overload from the process.'

'when will it start again?' Captain Steve asked, eager to get his friend back.

Ayo smiled gently at the Captain, her walls thinning 'tomorrow at 1700 hours'.

The next 24 hours passed in a blur.

Members of the Wakandan Design Group came and went, studying the Sleeping Soldier and asking Ayo questions about any changes in the time she had been with Sergeant Barnes. Shuri came back to set up Sergeant Barnes' chamber. Once it hit five 'o' clock, she activated the chamber. Beginning his deactivation once more.

Some of The Dora Milaje stopped by too, dropping off Ayo's garb for T'challa's coronation ceremony. 'Will you be joining us on the day sister Ayo?' Xoliswa asked, helping her try on the scarlet top. The beads itched beneath her breasts, but she ignored the feeling.

'Of course, how can I miss such a proud day for our nation?' 'are you sure he's not going to miss you?' Aneka teased, nodding towards the Cryostasis Chamber. Ayo rolled her eyes, smiling, as a chorus of laughter filled the room. 'I'm sure he will be fine for one day. He's very capable of that. Are you not Sergeant Barnes?'

The man in the chamber, of course, said nothing.

The Dora Milaje left.

With nothing to do for the rest of the evening, Ayo decided to head out to the training field. Okoye had asked her when she had come in with The Dora Milaje earlier, but she had declined. Now though, she felt that she needed the exercise. Sergeant Barnes could handle her being gone for an hour or two. 'take care of the place for me whilst I'm gone' she called, walking out of the room.

The sun was setting over the field. An orange hue dyeing the ground. Not many people were out, Ayo counting three figures in the immediate vicinity of the training field.

'Hello Okoye' Ayo called, recognising her shape at once.

Okoye turned as she approached, seeing W'kabi at her side, talking to a man she had never seen before. The men turned as she approached. 'Hello Ayo' W'kabi greeted, 'how has guard duty been?'

'so, it's you taking care of Barnes' the man said, amused.

'I see word gets around quickly' Ayo replied, looking between the men. W'kabi rolled his eyes and laughed, clapping her on the shoulder. 'You are too serious Ayo, learn to have some fun' she pushed his hand away, grinning lightly, 'excuse me for doing my job'.

She looked at the new man, all humour gone. He had a light bruise beneath his eye and a split lip. 'I didn't quite catch your name, you are?' 'Sam Wilson' he said, 'or "Falcon" as I'm called.'

'Falcon. You are a friend of the Capt – _Steve_ I assume?'

'the one and only. You could say I'm his wingman'

'indeed' Ayo replied, finding his pun humourless. 'Tell me Sam Wilson, how did you injure your eye?'

He shrugged nonchalantly, 'I got in a fight with a friend' he said. 'Speaking of fight, are you here to spar?' he asked, 'we could use an extra set of hands to even things out'

'I am. Though I would prefer to spar with Okoye. She can keep up with me'

'That sounds like a challenge' Sam Wilson wiggled his eye brows. 'besides, those two seem occupied' his head nodding towards W'kabi and Okoye.

The pair had already began sparing.

Okoye using her signature spear and W'kabi using a lance. His cloaked shield blocking her blows. They were lost in one another. It was more of a dance than a match. Okoye however was putting her all in it, but W'kabi was holding parts of himself back. Okoye could see it, as could she. The outcome was already set. Once this match was over, Okoye would not be pleased. Not pleased at all.

'I see no reason why not' Ayo said, relenting. 'But know this Sam Wilson, I will not go easy on you.'

'I didn't expect you too' Sam said, smiling.

They started with hand – to – hand combat, Ayo winning two of the three matches. The first two matches required little effort from Ayo. She hadn't lied when she said she would not hold back, but fighting Sam Wilson was easy. He used the same stances and movements, the blows he landed on Ayo she had expected and blocked accordingly. On the third match however, he managed to knock her down. He had changed the direction of one of his traditional blows, striking her in the chest. 'You're not taking me seriously,' he said, helping her to her feet. 'Like I said, I need someone who can keep up with me'

'oh, so it's like that?'

'no, it's not like that. You're good Sam Wilson. You're not fantastic, but good' she said, wiping the grass off her backside.

'Let's do something different. A proper fight, with weapons. I'm sure you can handle that'

The pair got some weapons, Ayo getting a spear and Sam grabbing a set of guns and a metal pack. 'why would you need that?' Ayo asked, raising an eyebrow. Sam grinned knowingly, 'you'll see'. They got in their stances, observing one another for a fraction of a second, and at once they ran at one another, clashing.

Sam balanced hand combat with the firing of his guns, Ayo dodging the bullets, and meeting Sam's blows. This time, there was more gravity in his strikes, Ayo finding herself having to push harder than before. They traded blows, weaving in and out of one another.

Ayo dropped to the floor, using her leg to sweep at his feet, Sam leaping in time. She rose, turned, and spun her leg clockwise, her heel missing his chin by mere inches. Sam swung at her bare torso, landing a blunt hit, but leaving his back exposed as he dove at her.

Exactly as she'd planned.

With his back open, she could take him by his blind side. Knock him to the ground with her spear, and twist his arm behind his back. It was fuel proof.

Only, Sam had expected that.

A blunt force knocked Ayo onto her back. The world spun, and she fell on her neck and shoulders. She got up quickly, to see Sam no longer on the ground, but in the air. Two long thin wings had sprouted from his pack, making him look like a celestial being.

Ayo grinned, rubbing her stomach, standing, 'so that's why your called Falcon'. Sam grinned back, happy to have caught her off guard 'it's good to see you're paying attention' his wings turned in, and he dove at her, the speed of a bullet.

They continued to clash.

Using earth and air. Ayo would never admit this out loud, but she was beginning to like Sam. Whilst his fighting spirit was nothing compared to Okoye's, nor did she feel the same heat of sweat as she did with her, she could see his determination. An opponent who was determined could tip the scale of a battle into their favour. She respected that.

Ayo leapt to the side as Sam dove at her again, her spear striking him from behind. The spears head caught in a corner of Sam's pack wedging itself into the pocket of open machinery and coming away with a loud _snap_.

Sam fell with a shout, the wings jittering haphazardly and spasming too and through. Slicing his body. He fell to the ground, momentarily unable to control the machinery on his back. Ayo swore under her breath in Xhosa and rushed towards him, Sam just managing to get the wings back in control.

'Are you alright?' she asked. Sam got to his feet, his split lip now bloody, and parts of his body sliced to ribbons. 'I've seen worse days. It's nothing' he coughed. 'That looks bad my friend' W'kabi said, rushing over. Okoye followed at a leisurely pace.

Sam stood with his back hunched, hand rubbing his chest, discomfort evident, and blood everywhere. W'kabi helped him out of the pack, Ayo holding his arms to steady him. 'Come with me' she said, placing one of his arms over her shoulder 'I caused your injuries, so I should patch you up.' Sam leant on her frame, following without argument, pack in hand.

Ayo led him to the Laboratory. She was expecting Shuri to be there but was mildly surprised to find that she was not. She took him to The Cryostasis Chamber and sat him down in a chair, the pack placed on the small table. She removed his bloody shirt, and got some of the medical supplies from a small box. As she wiped his injuries, she was surprised to find that the cuts where smaller than she thought. The blood making it seem worse than it was.

'if The Princess where here this would be easier' she murmured, binding one slash with a roll of ribbon. 'if you wait for a bit, she'll come down and see to your injuries' Sam shrugged 'it's no worries man, this is the kind of thing I'm used to. If I start using your fancy healing mumbo jumbo I won't want to leave.' Ayo moved onto his waist, noting old wounds and punctures littered across his body. 'you were in the military' she stated, knowing full well that asking would be beating around the bush.

Ayo heard Sam laugh, her eyes trained on the strips 'what gave it away?'

'everything' she said finishing.

'the way you stand to the way you walk. Your choice in stance and the way you fight. Your old wounds just confirmed it for me.' She stood up straight, looking down at the man.

'you're an observant one, I bet it comes in handy'

'I am, and it does.'

She turned away, and poured some water into a cup for Sam to drink. He accepted the drink gratefully and drank in deep gulps.

Sam stood up, pulling his shirt on. As his head poked through the hole, his eyes caught something. 'So, this is where he is' he said, walking forward. Ayo turned as Sam walked towards the cylinder, peering at the man inside. 'Hey Buck, can you hear me in there?' he called, knocking at the glass vexatiously. Ayo raised an eyebrow and grabbed his hand mid swing.

'What are you doing?'

Sam looked back at her, head at an angle 'what I've always wanted to do. Besides, he deserves it'

'I don't think Capt - _Steve_ will be pleased to know that you are doing this to his friend'

Sam took his hand away from her grip 'what he doesn't know won't kill him. Besides, I'm not going to get another chance to do this again' he knocked at the glass harder, adamant to somehow annoy the sleeping soldier.

Ayo folded her arms.

if his mission _was_ to annoy Sergeant Barnes, it wasn't working. His incessant knocking _was_ annoying _her_. Ayo grabbed his hand again, this time, grip harder, 'I assume you don't like Sergeant Barnes. That, or you take pleasure in seeing him hurt in some way'

Sam shook his head, hand dropping to his side. 'Nah that's not it. I actually do like him, it's just he's given me problems before. So, this is my payback. You could call it a version of "I didn't get no sleep because of ya'll, ya'll ain't getting no sleep because of me"'.

Ayo frowned, the Americans really did have odd phrases. This one sounded like something she'd heard Shuri say.

Sam took his hand away from her grip and began to circle the chamber. 'you know, this guy caused Steve so much grief.'

'really, how so?'

'his entire disappearing act. After SHIELD fell, Steve scoured the earth to find him. He barely ate, he barely slept, he was practically running on adrenaline. I had to convince him to focus his energy on other missions in order to stop him from crashing.' Sam came back to where he had started, touching the screen, voice fond.

'And for a moment, he was fine. Steve was back to his usual self. It wasn't until Nigeria that this mess came back up again'

Ayo flinched. When she thought of Nigeria, it never had an effect on her.

But when others mentioned it, especially unexpectedly, it always bothered Ayo. Sam continued, unaware of the hitch 'and all at once, he was back to what he once was. He'd lost his candour, his mobility, he couldn't even talk to me' Sam took a step back sighing, 'and after everything at the airport, he's back at square one. Everything he does, it's almost as if it's to hurt Steve'.

Ayo stared at Sam.

'You are in love with him'

Sam's head snapped up, 'What are you talking about?'

Ayo rolled her eyes 'don't play dumb with me Sam Wilson, you are in love with The Captain. That's why you're acting the way you are' Sam opened his mouth to argue, but Ayo continued, 'the way you talk about him, and your adamant need to vex Sergeant Barnes is all the proof I need. You even said it yourself, I'm observant. You are afraid of losing him to his best friend.' Sam could only stare at Ayo, his perplexity changing to mirth,

'you really are an observant one, aren't you?'

Ayo grinned back 'yes, I am' Ayo had seen a situation like this before, the only difference, a significant age gap between the two. Between a royal, and their mentor. The mentor had been unaware of the royal's pining at first, but when she had realised it, she approached the royal and turned her down gently. Whilst this did not stop the royal in question from loving her mentor, it however, helped them achieve greater heights together. Whilst there was no envy on their part, their story was no different from Sam's and Steve's. Ayo did not know the extent of their relationship, but she knew they at least had a fighting chance.

'Am I interrupting something?'

Sam and Ayo turned, Shuri standing by the door. 'Good evening Princess, this is Sam Wilson' Ayo said, indicating to him. 'He is a friend of Captain Steve Rogers. I believe he will be in need of some assistance due to his injuries'

'Not injuries,' Sam said quickly, as Shuri came closer, 'Ayo's already seen to it. But what I could use is a mechanic. Do you have one?'

'She's right in front of you' Princess Shuri said. 'What can I do for you?'

Sam picked up the pack from the table, and walked back to Shuri, looking down at it. 'I have a blade stuck in one of the wings. And if it were possible, I was wandering if you could help me get it out' Princess Shuri took the pack and admired it, recognising it at once. 'I can fix this' she said, turning it over in her hands. 'in fact, I'm sure I can upgrade it too'

'no, I prefer it as it is' Sam said, adamant. 'In a few days, me and the team are leaving Wakanda. I won't be able to test out all the new features or updates you do to it if you change it any way.'

'Suit yourself' Princess Shuri said, shrugging. 'But you will need some new plates for this one. It's rusted'

 _Rusted_

Bucky awoke suddenly, laying on his back, looking up at the new word.

He sat up slowly, rubbing his head with his right hand. How had he gotten there? The last thing he remembered was hearing Steve's voice, the bar, and then darkness.

Nothing at all in-between.

Bucky frowned. Someone was missing from that equation, someone important. 'oh, that's right' he said aloud, memory resurfacing. 'Ayo. I almost forgot about Ayo'. He scratched his chin, with his right hand again.

He got up, stretched, and looked at the world around him.

It was no different from before. The word flashed and faded. The space was as white. He was alone.

All was as it once was.

Bucky had hoped that the memory of the bar would remain. The people may not have been real, but at least he would not be wasn't alone.

After being on the run for almost a year, he was still unused to being around others., wWalking in public places, buying things, or even making eye contact always made him feel nervous. He did not know when or where he might lose himself again, and actively avoided them where possible. But In the moments he had to, he always enjoyed himself.

He enjoyed the chaos of city streets. The thrum of cars as they hummed down the intersections. The shouts and jeers of drunkards after a night out, and the sound of rain. The sweet pitter patter of dew as it fell from the heavens. In those moments, Hydra was but a dream, and his sins a distant memory.

With Hydra, loneliness was the crux of his existence. He may have been surrounded, but he was an item to everyone there. A weapon of war. A tool.

It was only in the Red Room, that he recalled a time of ease.

The girls there loved him, as their surrogate father. But he did not love them.

It was perhaps the most selfish thing he had done whilst he was with Hydra. Being around these girls just to fill the void. They above anyone else needed love.

Some were abandoned, disowned, or straight up sold to Red Room. But he knew all too well what would happen if he loved them. If he loved them, he knew what would happen.

He would love and love and love until either the child died, or his superiors decided she was "too weak", to teach him a lesson. The risk was too great. So he resolved only to care. That way, he could get the contact he craved and would not be in risk of getting hurt.

He only ever learned to love one of the girls in Red Room. The littlest one with deep red hair, and a mind of her own. She was frail and skinny when she first entered Red Room. But a determined fire burned behind her eyes. She was adamant to survive.

Bucky had initially seen her as another body. A recruit, who was destined to be put in an early grave. But as time passed, he saw something in her that he could not help but admire.

Her will reminded him of someone he had known. An Irish kid who got into fights behind alleyways, and dumpsters for the heck of it. But always for the right reasons.

Laughter erupted all around him, and he was brought back from his reminiscing.

The laughter was deep and hearty, it boomed and bounced around the white space. It was so unlike the _polite_ chuckles and minimal giggles he was used to. It was full, unabashed, and sincere.,

It was from The Outside.

" ** _It fits you well, sister_** "

" ** _it's a little itchy,_** "

" ** _It is only for the coronation. Please bear with it._** "

The women's voices ricocheted. They spoke in the same high, authoritive tone that was custom to Wakanda. Bucky recognised Ayo's sleek voice immediately.

" ** _we will be training today sister. Will you be joining us?_** "

" ** _not today sister Okoye. I still have some research to do_** "

Bucky listened eagerly. He may not have been amongst the women in a physical sense, but hearing them talk was nice. It made him feel alive.

The words that left their lips reassured him.

He did not want to be alone, and knowing that Ayo would remain soothed him. He did not recognise most of the voices, but at least he recognised Ayo's. it comforted him to know at least one of the women.

The women continued to talk. Unperturbed with the possibility of a listening ear.

They were discussing – Bucky realised – T'challa's coronation. Who would be coming to Warrior Falls, the Challengers, and The Clans.

" ** _When will sister Nakia be here?_** "

" ** _The day after tomorrow. I will be picking her up. With T'challa_** "

" ** _will that be enough time?_** "

" ** _the coronation will be the following day. It should be fine_** "

" ** _I'd give anything to see T'challa's face. I hope he freezes_** "

" ** _now Teela, that's not fair. You know he_ always _freezes_** "

Bucky laughed at Ayo's statement. The thought of T'challa freezing amused him.

It made the warrior-king seem much more human than the dignified, otherworldly Prince that he was used to, and far less intimidating than he initially seemed. 'I hope so too, Teela' he said aloud. Knowing full well that the women would not hear him.

Bucky found himself increasingly interested in what Ayo had to say. Ayo's voice a staple for him to familiarise himself with. Amongst these women, she seemed much freer, far less aloof than she appeared. The sound of her voice when she was with Steve, retained the High Wakandan manner of speaking. It was a professional sort of sound.

But here, in the comfort of her sisters – as she called them – her voice developed a candid sort of tune. The sound suited her. It was almost melodic.

 ** _"_** ** _are you sure he's not going to miss you?_** " came a voice. Snapping him out of his reverie.

Laughter erupted once more, and Bucky listened hard. Eager to know what he had missed.

Ayo spoke at once. A hint of mirth in her hard tone:

" ** _I'm sure he will be fine for one day. He's very capable of that. Are you not Sergeant Barnes?_** "

Bucky snorted, flushing. A long smile pulling at his lips. 'I can take care of myself with or without your help _Miss_ Ayo' he quipped. If her tongue was as sharp as her looks, then his time in this so called _waking dreams_ was going to be interesting.

He liked people who humoured him, and anyone with a sharp wit and a particular set of skills was definitely good company to have.

Miss Ayo had both.

The women talked for some time more, and left shortly after. Ayo remained in the lab, the pace of her footsteps echoing. It almost annoyed him how loudly she walked, almost. It was nice to know that she was there.

In a fight, this would have given her away easily. To The Winter Soldier, that is.

To someone else, her footfalls were the light breeze caught against dry leaves.

Only, this was Wakanda, and there was no light breeze.

'perhaps it's a situational thing' he mused. She was not in a battle situation, so she had no reason to mask the way she walked. But she could also be doing it to trick him. Or anyone who might be listening in.

Bucky did not believe that Ayo was aware the he was awake. Or partially for that matter. But he wouldn't have put it past her adjusting the way she walked just to give off a sense of lowering her guard.

' ** _take care of the place for me whilst I'm gone_** ' she called suddenly, footsteps disappearing to nothing. What did that mean? Bucky listened hard.

Not a sound stirred in the lab. Only the soft hum of machinery.

He listened for a moment longer, and came to a solid conclusion: Ayo had left.

Suddenly, Ayo's footsteps didn't seem so annoying.

He sighed, and sat down. Looking around the empty white space, Bucky tried to find something interesting to do. When he came to nothing, he closed his eyes, and listened.

Machinery hummed all around him.

A distant bird cawed tastelessly.

He could feel the cold of frost bite his knuckles, from somewhere that seemed too far away to be here.

He listened, and listened, and listened. Using sensation to fill the gaps.

It was his way of feeling less lonely. Sound reminded him he was whole, sound reminded him that he was complete. It reminded him above all else, that he was alive.

Even when he had been with Hydra, sound was the apex to a higher understanding.

If one could decipher sound, one could see more than what the eyes told them.

The world was made up of sound. Chaotic, and smouldering. It was stifling, and it was liberating.

It was full of life and it was free. Sound that had no purpose and no direction meant freedom. Whether from oppressors or general carefreeness, it meant it could not be controlled. It answered to no one.

He yearned for that. To be without care, to be whole with that noise.

He wanted to immerse himself in the sensation, to feel haunted by life as he was by death.

A quick flurry of footsteps, and a door opening.

He kept his eyes shut.

A curse, and the heaviness of a warm body dropping.

Bucky frowned, listening. Now this was interesting.

A door opened, and yawned shut. Items on the table, their contents spilled.

He saw two people – one? – no _two_ within the vicinity of the lab. One coughed loudly, and the other was deathly silent. The silence of the one reminded him of a viper, ready to spring at a chance given. The other, it seemed, was injured. Hurt in some way and struggling to draw breath.

The silent one began to move again, this time much louder than before. It was a breeze. The silent breeze when it blows through dry leaves in mid-autumn.

Bucky smiled, eyes still shut. It was Ayo. He knew it was Ayo.

She walked elsewhere, her footfall short and harsh, poured the thing at the end of the room, and brought it back to the injured person at her side.

A muttered thanks, and hard, deep gulps.

Cloth rubbed against skin as the person got dressed. There was stall, and suddenly the person began to walk. Hard and fast, towards him.

The person walked with a particular bounce in their step. One that suggested an enforced routine and structure. Bucky saw a harsh environment and an almost hive minded landscape. The Military.

He knew who it was before the pounding began. And when the pounding did start, he could only groan in annoyance. Sam Wilson.

* **thud** ** **thud** ** **thud** *

The sound was blunt and hard. It reverberated, and the walls of whiteness shook all around him.

* **thud** ** **thud** ** **thud** *

He closed his eyes tighter, adamant to ignore Sam's insistence.

* **thud** ** **thud** ** **thud** *

" ** _Hey Buck, can you hear me in there?_** "

' _yes_ '

* **thud** ** **thud** * -

The third thump came away suddenly.

" ** _What are you doing?_** "

'Please ask him for me, Ayo'

" ** _what I've always wanted to do. Besides, he deserves it_** "

Bucky grunted indignantly. This had to be the most juvenile thing Sam had done since meeting him. Apart from the seating thing. Bucky suspected that Sam's actions stemmed from the incident with his car a year earlier. Bucky snickered. His face when his metal arm came through the window was priceless.

Sam had started knocking once more, Bucky ignoring it effortlessly. If he was aiming to annoy him, it wasn't working. It would take more than noise to vex him senseless.

" ** _you know, this guy caused Steve so much grief_** "

Bucky frowned. Eyes remaining shut.

" ** _really, how so?_** "

How so indeed. Bucky wanted to know.

" ** _his entire disappearing act. After SHIELD fell, Steve scoured the earth to find him. He barely ate, he barely slept, he was practically running on adrenaline. I had to convince him to focus his energy on other missions in order to stop him from crashing._** "

Bucky sat straighter. Steve had been looking for him? Of course he had been looking for him. After the crash over the river, his adamant stance not to fight him on the Helecarrier, and the way he acted on the bridge, Steve was going to look for him. That was something he would do.

The whole thing with Tony was testament to that.

" ** _And for a moment, he was fine. Steve was back to his usual self. It wasn't until Nigeria that this mess came back up again_** "

Movement stirred behind Sam. It was like a gale had blown itself into a hard object, and Bucky absently wondered if something Sam had said had triggered Ayo. Unlikely.

But Sam's words were the real kicker in all this. They were softer than they'd ever been before. They were full of fondness. One that spoke of a desire that had not been met.

Surprise filled Bucky's core, as Ayo voiced his thoughts:

" ** _You are in love with him_** "

Bucky's eyes may have been closed, but he could see the surprise that decorated Ayo's features. It was the same as his own. Sam Wilson was in love with his best friend. His behaviour seemed to make more sense now. The search for him had pushed Steve's attention away from Sam, and Steve was suffering because of that.

Watching Steve push himself night and day for someone who clearly didn't want to be found, filled Sam with resentment. Steve had gone above and beyond just so he could remember who he was, and had risked prison just for him.

He'd even sacrificed his friendship, _his mantle_ of Captain America just for _him_ for Christ's sake!

Shame flooded Bucky's body. He really wasn't worth all this. Sacrificing his friend's health just so he could avoid his sins. Pathetic. Was his sins even _worth_ forgiving after the one person who even _knew_ _him_ was willing to die for him?

He felt the tears leave his closed lids as the air shifted. All this for some _jerk_ who didn't want to be saved. All this for a _jerk_ who could barely remember his own. All this, for _him_.

The _jerk_ who was so self-centred he was willing to sacrifice someone so good for his own wellbeing. Steve deserved better.

Shuri's voice broke through:

" ** _Suit yourself, but you will need some new plates for this one. It's rusted_** "

Shuri had walked in at some point. When, he did not know. But her words reminded him of something, something he was supposed to do.

He opened his eyes at last.

He was in an alleyway.

When he had been on the run, passing through open streets, he always felt compelled to look into alleyways. Why? He did not know. But the urge was irresistible.

Now, he understood why.

Steve was on the ground. Skinnier, and feebler than ever. He had a trash can lid in one hand, and a fist raised on the other. Before him, stood a man faded grey, ready to take on the little punk. But it was James Buchannan Barnes who had interrupted the fight.

James in his uniform, ready for war. He punched the grey figure and it ran away immediately, afraid of what he could do. The image played again in front of him, as though some force had put it on repeat. He saw the whole scenario play again, this time, his attention caught on something in particular.

The trash can lid in his hand was raised up in a particular manner all too familiar to Steve.

Bucky did not believe in fate, and neither did he believe coincidence. All of this seemed like some sort of ironic foreshadowing, subsequently placed to make him realise what was to come.

But it was the trash can lid in particular that caught his attention.

It was round and, albeit _rusted_ like his shield.

Rusted.

The world grew dark, and Bucky fell back into a deep sleep.


	4. Seventeen

'How is preparation going for your tribe?'

Ayo sipped her tea. Her eyes rising from the dark liquid in her cup, to the almond eyes set in Okoye's face. Her posture was straight, and her hands crossed over a raised knee. She did not touch any of the delicacies that sat before her. Not even the powdered Puff-puff she so often craved.

'they are going well sister,' she said, placing her cup down. 'we do not plan on challenging for the throne, but my cousin insists on it. He says that we need to remind everyone of who we are. But my aunt has made it absolutely clear, that that is not necessary'

As a member of The Mining Tribe, they already held a considerable amount of influence over the nation. The distribution of Vibranium being managed by the Tribe alone. It was the crux of their power. Other than the Golden Tribe, they were, perhaps, the strongest group within Wakanda.

'How is the preparation going for your Tribe?'

'Very well, thank you. The Merchant Tribe do not plan on challenging for the throne either' Okoye said.

Ayo leaned forward for the Chin chin. Okoye's eyes watching her carefully as she did so. When she leaned back into her former position, the General coughed politely and sat a little straighter.

Ah. Now she was going to talk.

'Ayo, when was the last time you went home?'

Ayo chewed on the snack thoughtfully. 'A few months ago, I believe'

'why haven't you gone back sooner?'

Ayo raised an eyebrow 'I have no reason to return'

'yes, you do'

'Okoye' Ayo said, teeth grinding, 'you know I can't go back home'

'Why?' the General asked, uncrossing her knee.

'Because my duties are to the throne' she said, defiantly. There was no reason to go back home as far as Ayo was concerned. Going home meant going back to nothing. There was nobody there to go back to, and there was no reason to return. The Main House of The Mining Tribe may have been her – _extended_ – family, but they were not her home. The Dora Milaje was her home.

'That is not the real reason' Okoye said. 'you and I know that.'

Ayo was silent. Okoye continued; 'Acantha would have wanted you to come home. Now more than ever'

'what do you know about what Acantha wanted?'

'I know that she was a traditionalist with an infamous liberal streak. She would have wanted you to come home to honour her passing, regardless of duty. If she saw you avoiding your family as you are now, she'd turn in her grave'

The flavours that were once sweet, dried instantly on Ayo's tongue.

'I have sentry duty to attend' Ayo said flatly, rising from her seat.

'Ayo – '

'thank you for the tea General. It was lovely'

Ayo left the room before another word could be uttered.

* * *

 _Seventeen_

'What are you up to, Ayo?'

Her feet slapped loudly against the smooth floor. The once soft crawling of a viper on the prowl, was replaced with the frantic flutter of a dove's wings.

'how did tea with Okoye go?' _badly, of course_.

For as long as he'd been in cryo, Bucky had never heard this. Ayo was never this loud and never this quiet. Something was up.

" ** _Screw this_** " she growled quietly, throwing whatever she had in her hand down. It clattered against the floor, skidding and hitting the base of the chamber. The world around him swayed.

Ayo's footsteps grew, her armour ruffling as she leaned forward to pick up what she had dropped with a harsh sigh.

" ** _What does she expect me to do? Grovel? Cry?_** "

'What happened?'

" ** _She's being so selfish. My duty is to the throne, and yet she expects me to_ leave _?_** "

The cold air bit into Bucky's veins.

'Okoye, wants you to _leave_?'

Ayo's teeth hissed from her kiss. She walked around the chamber muttering under her breath. Her voice rose and fell at her movement, certain corners of the room catching the full extent of what she was saying.

Ayo sighed, coming to a halt in front of him.

'Talk to me, Ayo'

" ** _I just don't know what to do James_** " she cried. Her cool tone shaking beneath a wave of concealed emotions. " ** _I exist to_ serve _the royal family_. _That's it. That's my purpose. I can't go back home to_ nothing _. There's nobody there_**."

The world around him shook, the white space feeling like a hurricane. Bucky listened:

" ** _Acantha would have come back home if it were me, but she was a scientist! I'm a_ soldier. _I can't just_ leave my duties. _Wakanda needs its King and its Dora now more than ever. Yes, she was family, but my family is also Wakanda. I just – just don't know what to do_** "

There was a slide, and a body dropping to the floor.

Bucky imagined her with her back pressed against the chamber. Sliding against its smooth surface, and falling into a crouched position. Her shaved head bowed against the weight of all this conflict. She was so small. So helpless.

This Acantha bird really got Ayo worked up. And if by what she was saying was any indication, it sounded like she was no longer with the living.

'I don't know who Acantha is, or what she meant to you, but if she really is family Ayo, I think you should go home and at least see her off. I imagine you would do the same for the Dora, so why should it be any different for someone who shares your blood?'

He wished he could talk to her. Make her understand. But his lips were – unironically – stuck in place. Once, when he woke from Cryo, he had asked what had became of Red Room. The last time he had been awake was amongst the girls. Suddenly, without warning, he had been bundled back into Cryo.

He did not recognise any of the men who had awoken him, and judging by their clothes alone, some time had passed. 'The girls you trained were defective.' One of the men said. 'all of them are dead.'

Bucky had never cared for the girls, not really. But hearing that all of them were dead broke him. If they were all dead, then it meant that even little Natalia was dead too. In all his years of service, Bucky had forgotten how to mourn. But hearing that the closest person he had to family had died released the emotion.

In the years that would follow, and the many memory wipes that came with it, he would often bemoan the fact that he did not get to mourn the death of a little red-headed girl when it had happened. He knew that to be a lie now. But the fact remained that had she truly died as he had been told, he would have brought her body back himself and buried it. Consequences be damned. Family did not always have to be about blood. Both Steve and Natalia were testimony to that. But in the event of their death, seeing them off was always the best option.

There was shuffle, and Bucky could just make out the sounds of Ayo picking herself off the floor. She sniffed loudly and chuckled to herself. " ** _Look at me, talking to a vegetable_** "

Bucky snorted.

" ** _I don't know if you can hear, but you're actually not that bad. Thank you, for listening to me_** "

'You're not bad yourself. Considering the stick you've got up your arse'

Ayo chuckled once more, as if she had heard him, full and hearty. The hair on the back of Bucky's neck standing on end. She was closer now, her voice louder than before.

" ** _you have a charming face_** "

* * *

Ayo did not see Okoye off that evening.

She didn't have to, but it was almost a tradition for her. When they had been together, Ayo would always say their goodbyes at the hangar bay, and wish her success in the mission to come. Even after they had stopped being together, and Okoye had become a wife and a mother, Ayo would always see her off.

She knew that she was imposing on the family, saying goodbye and wishing her intimate goodwill in the presence of W'kabi, and their children. It was selfish, yes, and even the Dora Milaje thought so too. They thought she could not let go of the past. Just as they thought she could not hear them.

Ayo, at first, resolved to do some more research, biding her time wisely at least. But after some time, she grew bored. Her findings the same as before. There was no change at all in Sergeant Barnes' vitals.

'What are you dreaming about, _Oyebo_ man?' she murmured, pressing herself against the chamber. Naturally, the comatose Sergeant said nothing. She peered at him through the fog of ice, noting once again his rugged appearance.

She admired the sharpness of his jaw, the curve of his long eyelashes, and slight pucker of his lips, tinted blue from the cold. 'I imagine you must have been what the westerners called a "ladies man"'. The sleeping soldier was silent.

Ayo admired his face a little further, trying to decide whether or not she liked his long hair and the hirsute of his frozen face. A random thought came to her, and she laughed in muted hearty throb. 'it just occurred to me that you are _The Winter Soldier_. You're more of a _Frozen Soldier_ in this state'. She laughed at her own silliness, relishing in the privacy he afforded her.

Something red caught the corner of her eye.

Weapons were not allowed in the lab, but Shuri had seen to it that Ayo would not go unarmed. She had gifted her a small baton along with the new Kimoyo bead. At Ayo's touch, it would form into a spear. Like lighting, the spear was in her hand. Scooped up from the small table at her side, next to James's chamber. She whipped the item overhead and it grew in size at her touch. The sharp tip just two inches away from the stunned, brown-eyed face of the intruder.

A small scream erupted from the girl's lips and Ayo felt the earth shift beneath her, an odd red mist escaping from the girl's hands.

But Ayo stood firm, recognising the girl instantly. 'state your business' she said, eyeing the girl with deep seated suspicion. The girl stammered, her hands up in surrender. 'I just wanted to visit James' she said, half shout half yelp. Ayo inspected the girl. Taking in her chestnut hair, pale heart shaped face and girlish features. She looked in her eyes and found an element of truth in them. And a hint of something else.

The spear came away from her face. And the girl let go of the breath she had been holding.

'you may pay your dues' Ayo said, teeth grinding. The girl nodded nervously, and walked to the chamber.

Ayo went back to her files. Ignoring the girl's presence.

Awkwardness hung in the air, with the girl merely staring at the sleeping soldier, to stealing quick, unsure glances at Ayo. The girl was unsubtle, and to Ayo she seemed ignorant to the fact.

Her presence and her staring annoyed her, and Ayo fought the urge to say something rude to the girl. If this was going to be a battle of awkwardness, she was going to win. She had nothing to say to _this_ girl.

After an episode of intense awkwardness, the girl spoke at last: 'you know, I only met and spoke to James once' she said, voice low. Ayo refused to look up. 'I can't say much about him, but his mind was full of sorrow. But somehow, there was still hope. How did so much melancholy learn to coexist in such a heart like his?'

Ayo listened to her words. Curious but uncaring. 'just before the fight at the airport, he pulled me aside and asked me not to take part. The way he held me, and his thoughts in that moment were clear: he'd seen this before'

'really' Ayo said at last, making her annoyance known.

The girl nodded, her brown hair bouncing. 'He'd taught a USSR Hydra secret group called the Black Widow's. I noticed that you – you have some of their belts. As _trophies_ '

Ayo fought the urge to smirk.

Trophies was an interesting way of putting it, but there was an element of truth in what she had said. Hydra had a notorious history of sending its spies to Wakanda to steal from the country. And those spies never returned. What was left of their ever being there was their belts. Left around the palace to decorate the walls. They added a nice touch Ayo felt.

'He loved those girls. And seeing them throw their lives away without a second thought distressed him. He didn't have to say it, but I reminded him of one of them. He thought she had died, but he saw her at the airport with Stark.'

Ayo looked up from the files. The girl was completely facing her now.

She continued: 'James has done some awful things in the past, but he has never been a bad person.'

The girl looked into Ayo's eyes, something she had been avoiding throughout. 'I – I don't know why I'm telling you all this, and James isn't the real reason I'm here' the girl said, _Wanda_ confessed.

'I'm here because of Nigeria. I'm here because I killed your twin sister.' Tears threatened the outer rim of her eyes, but Wanda pushed on: 'I wanted to confess to my crime and apologise personally for my actions. I don't expect you to forgive me, but I want you to know from the bottom of my heart how sorry I am for what I've done'

Wanda Maximoff.

A child of war and an orphan at just 10 years old.

Ayo had known who she was the minute she had taken the spear from between her eyes. In an odd sense, Ayo could see herself reflected in this girl. They had both lost family they cherished and were both fighting for a perceived greater good. Ayo on the other hand was working for the greater good from the beginning.

Wanda wanted to make up for her past actions, but wound up hurting more people than she'd helped. _and they were always people of colour_ she thought jadedly. 'Do you even know her name?' Ayo said bitterly. Wanda nodded her head and looked down at feet. 'Acantha' she said solemnly, 'your sisters name was Acantha'.

Her presence really did tick her off. No amount of apology or excuse could make up for her sister's death, and she wondered absently if this was how Tony Stark felt.

It hit her then suddenly. She had compared herself to Wanda and that wasn't the case at all. They were _nothing_ alike. Wanda was like Sergeant Barnes.

Sergeant Barnes' actions had hurt many. Resulting in the deaths of innocent people. He was made into a tool of destruction. Wanda Maximoff was the embodiment of chaos. Her actions at first had intentionally influenced and hurt the lives of many. Switching sides only when realising her wrong doing.

Both had hurt and maimed others for the sake of war. Unlike Sergeant Barnes she had a choice. He did not.

Tony Stark had not seen it that way. As far as he was concerned Sergeant Barnes was murderer. he had purposely killed Starks parents. Sergeant Barnes was a victim.

Ayo was not Stark, and she never would be.

'I cannot forgive you' Ayo said, gravely. 'you have taken the life of someone so brilliant, so kind, sweet and loving that the prime of her abilities will unfortunately never be known by the rest of Wakanda.'

Ayo knew it was petty, reminding someone who was sorry for their actions for their wrong doings, but sorry was not enough. She wanted Wanda to know her pain, for her to at least taste some of the grief she had caused. It was sick, but she wanted to see Wanda cry.

'Acantha was my sister and Princess Shuri's mentor. I want you to know that it wasn't just me you hurt, but the Princess too. Acantha was her first love. And although she did not return the feeling, she never once let her down. Pushing her to what she is now'

Ayo's voice took a life of its own, saying things she would never say to anyone else. But the words flowed from her lips like water, the memory of her sister fuelling her on.

'I will never see my sister again because of you, and The Princess will possibly never see love for its beauty, only its pain. Your actions have consequences Wanda Maximoff. And I hope you will learn from them. Bast help us all if you don't.'

Ayo's eyes itched, and she rubbed the skin beneath. When she pulled her hand away, she found it damp. She looked down at her hand perplexed. Where had that come from? She looked at Sergeant Barnes' chamber. It was still covered in ice, but she could still make out her reflection from where she stood. Water flowed from her eyes like a stream, rushing towards her lips. The same could be said about her nose, only the mucus stuck to the very entrance and refused to go any further.

That was all it took.

A strangled cry left her lips and she let herself cry without remorse. She gasped, and sobbed, and choked, the air in her lungs whooping. All because of Acantha. Acantha who was both stupid and smart. The one who was aware of others feelings but never of her own. The sister who was everything she was not and everything Ayo was.

Her whole, her half, her equal.

Arms where suddenly around her, and the dry scent of an unfamiliar hair lotion filled her nostrils. Ayo's blood boiled, 'no! Let go of me! Get off of me you witch!' She hollered pushing aggressively at Wanda's body.

'get off of me now! Or I'll make you sorry!'

But the girl only clung to Ayo's body, wrapping her in an embrace that Ayo would have imagined as impossible only hours before. She made her feel weak, and the disdain that she had carefully suppressed came back tenfold.

Skin meeting skin echoed in the room, and the shock of what Ayo was about to do only reached her a second too late. Wanda's cheek glowed a raspberry red, the mark made from Ayo's hand getting brighter with every second that passed. It was the sound that brought Ayo crashing back to reality, the slap's echo reverberating.

Her sobs ceased at once from this act of violence, and she found that she could only stare at Wanda. They had both fallen to the floor, kneeling. The girl held Ayo as if her life depended on it, and refused to let go. She could see herself once again reflected in James' chamber, the wildness of her eyes, the looseness of her tears and the heaviness of her breath. His face hovered above theirs like a god, asleep, but all knowing and all observing. 'its ok' Wanda murmured, stroking her back 'it's alright. I know how you feel.' The words left her like a prayer, soft and soothing, the timber of her voice a melody.

Did she know how she felt? Truly? Ayo didn't know.

But Wanda's arms around her reassured her, the feeling warm and welcoming. They were like Acantha's. A long time ago, when Ayo would cry herself to sleep at night, Acantha would hold her like this, saying nothing, but holding her just the same.

It was in those moments that it was Acantha's turn to be the strong one, guarding and protecting her twin from her woes. Reassuring her that things would get better. The last time she had done this was when she and Okoye split up.

Wanda moved, guiding her to one of the chairs in the room. She set Ayo down, and poured her some water. Ayo gladly accepted, downing its contents in one go. Wanda poured her another cup, and Ayo sipped it gently 'is this another one of your tricks?' Ayo asked, trying to be fiecre 'are you trying to get me to forgive you?' Wanda shook her head, the dew of tears fresh in her own eyes. 'I may be able to manipulate feelings, but I'm not so cruel. All this, is you. This is supressed emotion'

Figures.

Ayo never actually confronted Acantha's death, nor had she spoken or reflected on it. She buried it, and ignored it like she always did. Deciding that having no visible feelings was better than being seen as weak. Talking about her had brought it all out, and it both terrified and reassured her.

'I'm sorry' Ayo said 'for hitting you' Wanda smiled, the mark making her wince 'there's nothing to be sorry about. When my brother died, all I wanted to do was destroy everything around me. His death changed me, but for the better.'

Ayo knew about her parents, but she had no knowledge of her having a brother. She _did_ know how it felt. Shame coursed through Ayo's body as she went on: 'It was only after his death that I realised that it wasn't over for him. And the same can be said of your sister, Acantha'

'what do you mean?'

Wanda looked into Ayo's eyes, 'do you trust me?'

'yes' _no_

Wanda raised her hands, and laid them on Ayo's face. Instinct claimed Ayo's senses, and she found herself closing her eyes at Wanda's approaching touch despite her fight to keep them open. When her hands finally touched her face, the world was new:

 _A great sea was before her, and all around her was a lush green landscape. It was an island, unaltered and growing lavishly from the rich soil beneath her. A warm sun caressed her skin and she saw for the first time that the island was alive with people. They all wore clothing of an era long gone, the armour and cloth much too distinct to be from the present, but an ancient past._

 _The people were of similar stature, the curve of their bodies and girth of their chests marking them distinctly as women. From what Ayo could see there was no man on this island, only one sex. An island of women._

 _A child ran amongst them. She had coal black hair and pale skin, with a face that promised great beauty to come. The women greeted her enthusiastically as she ran, smiles upon their faces. The child ran and ran and ran stopping only at a field._

 _The field was full of training women. Each one carried a weapon and sparred with one another with heated enthusiasm, adamant to prove her worth. The shape of one of the women caught her attention in particular. She was quite tall, dark skinned and had a full head of lush black hair. It was plaited back to sit in her hair piece, and hold her hair away from her eyes. She fought with a sword, swinging the weapon too and through as she battled her opponent. It was like dancing, her movements hypnotic yet deadly._

 _With one swing her rival fell to the ground, defeated. The Warrior lifted her opponent up by the hand and turned to where Ayo was. Her breath caught in her throat. The warrior was Acantha. She smiled and whooped and cheered. She praised the women around her and sang openly a song of war. Acantha's presence amongst these women was one of unity, as though she had known these women all her life._

 _The shyness that once prevented her from speaking her mind at full was gone, and Ayo saw for the first time the woman Acantha was meant to be._

'Did you see it?'

Ayo blinked, dazed. A pale faced girl with chestnut hair came into her field of vision. They were in a lab. 'what was that?' Ayo said groggily, trying to make sense of all that she had seen. Wanda smiled gently 'another universe' she whispered. 'I don't know the extent of my abilities, or even exactly what I can do, but what I just showed you, I've never shared with anyone else.'

'why did you show this to me?'

'to make up for my actions. To show you that your sister was ok.' Wanda looked down at her hands, 'and to help you move on'.

A comment like that would have annoyed Ayo earlier, but with her outburst and emotional response to discussing her sister, she realised now that she did need to address her sister's death.

Wherever this universe was, whoever Acantha was in this new world, she was happy. Ayo could never forgive Wanda, it was a standard fact. Neither was she willing to call her a friend or an acquaintance. But she appreciated what she had done.

'Thank You' Ayo said.

Wanda nodded, getting ready to leave. Her chestnut hair bouncing.

The youth of the girl baffled Ayo, noting for the first time how young she was. She had a world of experience and a depth of emotion. Her wisdom somehow seemed unnatural, and her war experiences in this day and age was uncommon. 'How old are you?' Wanda turned to face Ayo, the look of surprise on her face hysterical.

Ayo did not laugh, but pressed on 'you've seen and known war for how long? Your experiences and empathy speak of one who either knows loss or takes pleasure in it. And I know it's not the latter. So, tell me, how old are you?'

Everything about Wanda Maximoff was unnatural.

It wasn't hard to see that. But this much despair and anguish in one lifetime, would be too much to bear. Coupled with her abilities, none of this seemed right. How much had she seen? How much had she done to be where she was now? Ayo did not believe in fate, but something about all this seemed supernatural to her.

Wanda struggled, heat taking to her cheeks. The frankness of Ayo's words clearly making her wonder if she was being condescended. But that was far from the truth. Ayo knew that, and Wanda could feel it. She looked at Ayo shyly, insecurity in her voice.

'seventeen' she said. 'I'm seventeen years old'.

* * *

 _Seventeen_

 _" **I'm seventeen years old** "_ the words echoed around the white space.

He'd been staring at the word for hours, unable to find anything to go with it, and unable to whisk it away from his line of sight. Having the word as his only source of comfort was irritating to say the least.

But the commotion outside woke him from his daze. He did not understand what was going on outside, but he knew a struggle when he heard one.

He realised at once that Wanda was outside. He'd wondered desperately what had become of her after the airport fight. And hearing her voice reassured him.

But hearing what followed surprised him. Acantha had been Ayo's twin sister, and Wanda had killed her. Not intentionally of course, but her actions had led to her death. Whatever Wanda did to Ayo now in the space of the time that had passed, had healed her.

Her tension from earlier gone, and her voice retaining its cool calm lilt.

Ayo was back, and if his hearing was anything to go by, better than ever.

The room around him shifted, and he was back in the alleyway.

Steve was with James, walking out after the fight, and showing him a piece of paper.

On it, the details of his regiment.

107th Infantry Regiment.

107th.

One and Seven.

Seventeen.


End file.
